Congressman Beto O'Rourke speaks with a group of young Democrats who recently graduated from united High School as he visited the Gateway City, Monday, July 31, 2017, at the Palenque Grill restaurant on San Bernardo Avenue, to discuss his vision for our State and Nation as he continue with his campaign for U.S. Senator.

Congressman Beto O'Rourke speaks with a group of young Democrats who recently graduated from united High School as he visited the Gateway City, Monday, July 31, 2017, at the Palenque Grill restaurant on San

Congressman Beto O'Rourke speaks with a group of young Democrats who recently graduated from united High School as he visited the Gateway City, Monday, July 31, 2017, at the Palenque Grill restaurant on San Bernardo Avenue, to discuss his vision for our State and Nation as he continue with his campaign for U.S. Senator.

Congressman Beto O'Rourke speaks with a group of young Democrats who recently graduated from united High School as he visited the Gateway City, Monday, July 31, 2017, at the Palenque Grill restaurant on San

U.S. Rep. Beto O'Rourke, D-El Paso, hit Palenque Grill on Monday night as part of his extensive campaign across Texas in his run for Senate.

Since Friday, O'Rourke, with his wife and young son, have been through San Antonio, Corpus Christi, Brownsville, McAllen, and a few of the smaller communities in between.

A packed room of at least 60 supporters came out for a meet and greet with O'Rourke on Monday, who spoke largely on issues affecting the border in particular, like the proposed wall between the U.S. and Mexico.

"Everywhere I hear the same thing. Folks know we don't need a wall," O'Rourke said. "They realize it's a huge waste of money. They remind me that our communities along the border are so safe, very often safer than communities deeper in the interior of the United States. And there's a tremendous amount of pride in the border right now that we can capitalize on. It's really exciting to me. ... I love that the border is taking a leap."

Former Laredo Mayor Raul Salinas, in speaking with LMT, underlined the importance of Laredoans and Latinos getting out to vote.

"Latinos will soon be the majority. What use is being the majority if you don't go out and vote?" he said.

If people see high voter turnout among Latinos, politicians will pay more attention to causes like immigration reform, Salinas said.

Although he came short of officially endorsing O'Rourke, Salinas said he was a viable candidate in the run against incumbent Sen. Ted Cruz.

O'Rourke is famously not accepting money from political action committees in this campaign, and noted that in the last quarter his campaign raised $2.1 million, at an average of $44 a contribution. Cruz raised about $500,000 less, O'Rourke said.

"All the money that comes into my campaign comes from real, human beings, people who want to see a change. ... So in other words, people are winning. If it's people against corporations, people against special interests, people against those who would steer our country in the wrong direction, the people are winning, and it's evidenced in this campaign," O'Rourke said.

Former Webb County Judge Mercurio Martinez said he was one of the first people in Laredo to endorse O'Rourke.

"Ted Cruz has alienated the majority of the senators in the Senate. ... We cannot afford somebody that has alienated the Senate that way. I've always felt that politics is the act of compromise. Let's reach a middle ground. In my opinion, Beto O'Rourke has that ability," Martinez said.

After O'Rourke's speech to the crowd at Palenque Grill, Martinez yelled out that in the Nixon-Kennedy presidential race, 90 percent of Laredoans cast their vote for Kennedy. He said there's no reason that can't happen again with O'Rourke, which was met with animated cheers and applause.

Laredo Development Foundation Executive Director Olivia Varela threw her support behind O'Rourke as well, citing his understanding of the importance of the relationship between the U.S. and Mexico as trading partners.

"I am not a straight party Democratic voter, but I believe in integrity and moral character, and I believe that Beto represents both of these," Varela said.

"This is the third time that I've been here since we began this campaign, and it will not be the last time," O'Rourke said. "I'm showing up. I'm not taking anybody for granted. ... We've had a senator who put his career, his party, his ideology, his pursuit of the presidency, above the people he was elected to serve."

Julia Wallace may be reached at 956-728-2543 or jwallace@lmtonline.com